EOIR: Put Kids At Top Of Immigration Court Docket

"As part of the administration’s efforts to deter the current surge of illegal Central American migrants, the nation’s immigration courts will make a major shift in priorities to place unaccompanied minors and families with children first in line to go before immigration judges, Justice Department officials said Tuesday.

Under the new procedures, those migrants could have their cases resolved and be deported within months, instead of the two or three years those cases often take in the overburdened courts.

But the shift will have a broad impact on the system, the officials said, because at least half of about 375,000 cases already languishing in backlogs will be delayed significantly longer.